Providing Incentives for Staff and Volunteers

Posted :September 21, 2018

Updated :September 21, 2018

Rewarding Accomplishments: Providing Incentives for Staff and Volunteers

Learn how a uniform system of positive incentives can be used to the advantage of recipients and of your organization as a whole.

WHY SHOULD YOU DEVELOP A PLAN FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES?
WHEN SHOULD YOU PROVIDE INCENTIVES?
EXAMPLES OF INCENTIVES
HOW DO YOU DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AN INCENTIVE PLAN?
SUSTAINING THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Why do we do what we do? What causes us to help someone out, or work at a particular place, or even get out of bed on a rainy Monday morning?

A lot of things work together to help us form the choices we make - even those that are so ingrained that they no longer feel like choices. We roll out of bed without seriously considering the alternative of staying there. We skip breakfast because we're not hungry, or because the clock tells us that we are already running late. We buy a different brand of dishwashing detergent because we have a "buy one, get one free" coupon. We take a different route to work because the radio announcer tells us it will be faster.

We make these choices in an effort to be rewarded (free detergent!), avoid negative consequences (getting yelled at for being late), or both. These decisions are made in all aspects of our daily lives, but nowhere are the consequences of our choices as clear as they are in the professional world. If you don't show up, you don't get paid - and you might even get fired. If you do a particularly good job, you might get a promotion or some other type of recognition.

Likewise, the people who work for your organization, whether paid employees or volunteers, choose to work for you. And, obviously, it's in the best interest of your organization that you hang on to them. But, holding on to staff and volunteers can be difficult. How can you make them want to stay?

This section is based on the belief that a uniform system of positive incentives can be used to the advantage of recipients and of your organization as a whole. Incentives can be used to motivate volunteers and paid employees alike and can help you retain your workers - and even draw in new ones. Read on to find out how an organized incentive system can benefit your whole organization!

WHY SHOULD YOU DEVELOP A PLAN FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES?

HOW CAN A PLAN FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES HELP YOU, YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND YOUR ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE?

Incentives increase morale. A simple "thank you" or "good job" from a supervisor can go a long way in making a person feel confident and proud in his or her job, as can more sophisticated incentives. That confidence and pride can help make an even better volunteer or employee.
Incentives enable you to keep good help and attract more. It's pretty simple - incentives give the best people in the organization reasons to stay. And good news travels fast - as others in the community are looking for paid jobs or volunteer opportunities, they will naturally turn towards your organization as a place they want to work.
Incentives increase the productivity (or safety, or anything else you wish to promote) of members of your organization. If it is understood that increased productivity, or a decrease in accidents, or longevity as a member of the organization gets fairly (or even handsomely) rewarded, then people will do their best to be productive and safe, or to remain with the organization. Bottom line? Things that are rewarded get done.
An incentive program can decrease real and perceived favoritism by rewarding employees equally for actions or longevity. Jealousy or envy can deeply harm an organization and are sure to spring up when employees are rewarded unequally. By having a program, you can be sure that one employee isn't taken for a hamburger lunch to celebrate five years of service, and the other to the Tour d'Argent.

WHEN SHOULD YOU PROVIDE INCENTIVES?

SO IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR YOUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, WHEN SHOULD YOU DO SO? THIS WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUT TWO GENERAL RULES APPLY:

Reward staff, paid and volunteer, at certain clearly defined milestones. For example, your organization might reward people after a certain amount of time with the organization (after 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years); at the end of a difficult project; when a challenging goal has been met; or after the successful completion of a training session. These milestones should be decided on before they occur, as much as possible - you don't always know when or how hard work will pay off. They will also vary greatly depending on the organization.

For example, a local symphony might wish to celebrate the end of the concert season, winning a prestigious award, or a particularly generous donation. An advocacy group for children's rights might offer rewards to those who helped ensure the passage of an important piece of legislation, or to staff members who worked overtime to publish the annual report. Both might wish to celebrate the contributions of people who have been with their organizations for several years.

Reward regularly and promptly. Whatever events you have decided to celebrate, don't wait six months after a goal has been met to congratulate someone. Rewards and incentives should be given as soon as possible upon reaching a goal. If you wait until six months after the grant has been won to have the party, you will have lost much of the momentum and excitement.